Ice Cream Shoppe
by NoH8-make-a-rainbow
Summary: "Who knew learning somebody cheated on you could figure out your life doesn't always go the way it should go?" DxC One-shot.


Courtney woke up bright-eyed and metastatic on a Sunday. Yes, a Sunday. Her day off, her sleep-in day. Today was a very special day for her and her husband; their wedding anniversary! Her wedding day was the happiest day of her life, the birth of her daughter Cecily following two years later. Courtney walked into her kitchen, expecting nothing. But instead, her caring husband Duncan had made her breakfast, and their kitchen had a banner that said "Happy Anniversary" with multi-colored balloons. She found her husband under the banner with open arms, and she ran up to him and embraced him.

"Happy Anniversary." She said, her small body nuzzled into his muscular arms. Duncan pulled her in tighter, and kissed the top of her head, swaying her back and forth.

"Happy Anniversary, my Princess." Courtney smiled as she smiled at him as they let go.

"You did all this for me?"

"Yes I did, baby." Courtney laughed, and pulled him in for a long make-out session. Suddenly, as they started kissing, their petite 16-year-old came out half-asleep.

"Mom, if you want me to eat breakfast, I'd enjoy it if you two would not make out in the kitchen. That would make me throw up my guts." Courtney laughed at her rebellious daughter. She had short, black hair, with his wicked green eyes. She also has Courtney's beautiful complexion, though that was the only thing her daughter grasped of her. She had Duncan's rebellious side, and his poor grades from high school. Every time Courtney sees her grades, she hopes that it's a copy of Duncan's old report cards.

"Cecily Johnson, let your mother and I make out in peace." Duncan said playfully.

"But you won't even let Johnny and I go make-out in my room. You two can do it anywhere. Hell, you two would even make-out on that coffee table." She complained, making it seem so unfair.

"Cecily Johnson, You're 16 years old. When you're 18, you can move out and go live wherever you want. Co-ed college dorms, female college dorms, an apartment with your boyfriend, I don't care. Just don't get pregnant before you get married." Cecily sighed, and went back up to her room. Courtney giggled at her husband, and started making out with him again, feeling safe in his arms.

"So, what are we doing today?"

"Dinner?" Courtney smiled.

"Sounds good to me." Courtney leaned in to kiss him one more time, and she went upstairs to get dressed.

Courtney and Duncan have had a great night so far. They went to their favorite Italian resteraunt, and on the way home, Duncan decided to take her somewhere that they haven't been in a long time. As Duncan pulled up, Courtney gasped at the title of the shop; _Al's Ice Cream Shoppe._

"This place is still open?" She asked as Duncan took the key out of the ignition, and they headed inside. The two smiled as they saw who was still running the place; Al, the owner himself. He squinted his eyes at the couple. Al was a short, elderly man. He always had on a uniform he's been wearing for years; striped shirt, khaki pants and a bowtie.

"Is that Courtney and Duncan?" He came out from behind the counter and chuckled; he always remembered them as "the only employees to cause a riot between each other." Nobody would think that Courtney and Duncan would get married, let alone last this long even if getting married.

"Yes." Duncan said, chuckling and embracing the man with a hug. Courtney proceeded to him, and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"I haven't seen you two in years. Have a seat, what do you want to eat?"

"Two sundae's."

"Coming right up." Courtney and Duncan sat down, and in about 2 minutes, he whipped up their order and sat down with him.

"How much do I owe you?" Al chuckled.

"Don't worry about it. It's on the house."

"Thanks!" Courtney said with a smile as the two started eating.

"So, Duncan and Courtney, finally married, huh? We didn't think you could last being alone for ten minutes." The three laughed in agreement.

"Tonight's our 18th wedding anniversary." Al stared wide-eyed in amazement.

"Well then, happy anniversary! How have your lives been?"

"We have a daughter named Cecelia. She's a rebel, that girl." Duncan told him, laughing.

"She's got your temper, too, I bet." The three laughed, remembering how little of a temper Duncan has as a teen.

"Of course. We'll be surprised if she gets into a decent college with the way she acts and the grades she has." Courtney informed him.

"How about you, Al? How's your life?" Duncan leaned back in his seat, with his arm around Courtney's chair.

"Life couldn't be better! Great job, great wife, great daughter. My daughter just got through medical school. She's a OBY/GYN for teenage mothers. Started her own business and everything. She works hard, I'm proud of her."

"At least we'll know who to call when things go wrong with our girl." The three laughed, just like old times. Duncan looked at his watch; 10:30.

"Shoot, gotta run." The two gave Al a quick hug, promising that they will be back soon for a family trip, and they got in the car, turned on the radio and sat there, thinking about life for a moment. The song _Enchanted_ came on, and Courtney leaned her head on Duncan's shoulder, mesmerized.

"It's our song." She smiled as they looked up in the distance and remembered the happier times when they truly found the good in themselves.

_It was the class of 2010's prom, A Night In Wonderland. Courtney was with Trent, her longtime boyfriend of two years. Duncan was with Gwen, his longtime girlfriend of two and a half years. The two were each in their own little corners of the hotel ballroom, fighting about their partner's latest scandals._

_"Gwen, I can't believe you made out with Trent." Duncan argued to Gwen._

_"I thought what we had was special." They coincidentally said from opposite sides of the room. Trent grabbed Courtney's hand._

_"I'm sorry."_

_"Sorry's not good enough!" She stamped away to the punch bowl, holding back tears. It was prom night, and she just practically broke up with her boyfriend. They were a great couple. The kind of couple where everyone goes, dang, they're still together? From the other side of the room, Gwen reached our for Duncan, but he hastily pulled her away._

_"Sorry doesn't make up for what you did to my now shattered heart." Being the man he is, he held back tears of his own, and without looking, bumped into Courtney._

_"watch where-" Courtney looked into his deep, green eyes. They were beautiful. But she knew who this guy was. Her co-worker. The school rebel. He was bad news. "You're going." Duncan stared into her, and read her like a book; something was wrong with her, just like him. _

_"Did you hear what happened with Trent and Gwen?"_

_"Yeah... A shocker, isn't it?" She asked him. That was obviously not the truth. Everybody knows that Gwen and Trent are practically made for each other. _

_"Looks like we do have something in common." The two laughed awkwardly as the current pop song transitioned into a slow dancing song; Enchanted by Taylor Swift._

_"Seeing as though I want somebody to dance with, and you're all I have... Would you like to dance?" Duncan smiled._

_"Sure." The two quickly warmed up to each other, swaying to the beat of the song, Courtney even resting her head on his shoulder like they were lovers. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Courtney's eyes filled with tears, and it was like a crack in the wall isolating a dam and the Earth; she immediately, uncontrollably, cried tears of pain and sorrow. Duncan stroked her hair, and swayed her easier, shushing her. Duncan got the same feeling of regret, sorrow, pain, humiliation, and the manly-ness inside of him disappeared as they began to drown their sorrows into each other._

Duncan stroked Courtney's hair, and kissed her head. He noticed she was crying. Not crying with sorrow. Crying tears of joy. Duncan saved Courtney. Who knew learning somebody cheated on you could figure out your life doesn't always go the way it should go? Because of Duncan, she learned to be optimistic, spontaneous, just to be a nicer person overall, and to not judge others. Courtney grabbed a tissue from the glove compartment, and blew her nose.

"Happy anniversary." Duncan pulled her closer into him, silently crying at the joy of memories this story brings back.

"Happy anniversary, my Princess."


End file.
